Tariq Jahan

By Sonia Van Gilder CookeMonday, Aug. 15, 2011

It would have been the easiest thing in the world to call for revenge. But Birmingham resident Tariq Jahan  whose son was run down and killed by a car during the riots  asked only for calm. "Blacks, Asians, whites  we all live in the same community," he said in a speech to his community the day after his son died. "Why do we have to kill one another? Why are we doing this?" The tragedy unfolded on Tuesday night as Jahan's son Haroon headed out to protect local shops from rioters in the Winson Green area of Birmingham, a neighborhood plagued by tension between African-Caribbean and South Asian communities. Haroon and two other young Muslims were thrown high into the air when a car that had mounted the pavement struck them at 50 m.p.h. (80 km/h). Jahan attempted to perform CPR on his dying son, a 21-year-old car mechanic and amateur boxer, but was unable to revive him. Later that night, as tensions mounted, Jahan called on the 150-person mob to go home. "I don't want any of you to fight," he said.